ask (for)

Definition of ask (for)next
1
2
as in to woo
to act so as to make (something) more likely you are asking for trouble if you invite her ex to the wedding

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to request
to give a request or demand for the surgeon asked for the scalpel

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ask (for)
Verb
  • Another, says Lentsch, was when the Wyoming state senate almost passed SJ2, a bill seeking to transfer all federal land in Wyoming to the state for the purpose of selling it off.
    Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The sixth pillar, agri-tourism, seeks to support rural economic activity and diversify income sources.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • That could spell a long summer of road trips to woo conservative holdovers stranded at the lower entryway to the north state.
    Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
  • That was a concession the Ellisons made to woo WBD away from its previous merger partner, Netflix.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The substitute also allows for the state to request a hardship waiver, something that was blocked under the original bill, from the community engagement requirements for counties with high unemployment, greater than 8% or one-and-a-half times higher than the national rate.
    Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Apr. 2026
  • This session, the Legislature also passed House Bill 822, which requires schools and health care providers to inform a parent within 72 hours if a child requests to take steps to socially transition, which could include using pronouns or names that align with their gender identity.
    Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The 9-9-9 challenge in Section 139 invites fans to tackle nine slider hot dogs paired with nine 4-ounce beer pours across 9 innings.
    Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The Inn stays shut during winter and ‘pack ice’ season, which some locals will tell you is the most beautiful time of all—for snowmobiling and snowshoeing through the Island’s interior by day, and come evening, getting invited into someone's warm shed for a tipple and a chat.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • At least 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, trained to land in hostile territory to secure key positions and airfields, have been ordered to the Middle East.
    ABC News, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Denise was ordered to go into the same closet.
    Lauren Clark, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ask (for).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ask%20%28for%29. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster